So who’s presenting?
5 Steps to present
By Dale Stam 12/10/11
Public speaking is a scary beast that can leap out of the crisp corridors of office life, and snatch up all the confidence you built since 9am. There are various methods for defence, some people tackle the monster first, others react after it has pounced, and there are still others who run away screaming.
I have given a few public presentations, felt the stares and the rapid heartbeat, but there are some tricks to help you overcome the beast.
1. Do not be paranoid.
Truth is all those people you stare out over, they actually want you to do well. They would rather be engaged then bored, and if you are able to make a good presentation, then they will associate you with somebody who they can not only understand, but whom they want to hear from.
2. Turn on the slow-mo.
It might go against everything in your body telling you to fly when giving a presentation, but one of the major factors in bad presentations is presenters who rush into things.
Take a breather, if anybody asks, you’re doing it for dramatic tension. Actors use it to grasp audiences, and teachers do it to hold the class. The speed of the presentation varies from person to person and from your pre-run timing to the actual presentation.
Remember that control like the actor and teachers comes from the pause, let them want more- it also gives you a moment to adjust to the stress.
3. Look to the horizon.
If all those eyes staring at you start to make you quake, then adjust your gaze to a higher plane, but not too high. Rest on the fringe, or the forehead, it appears you are looking at the audience but you gain less of the side effects from direct eye contact.
Hair does not stare, hair does not judge, and it is ready to be blown over by the power of your presentation.
4. Know your stuff.
If you know what you are presenting, then you are able to ad lib, and you gain a sense of confidence that comes with knowledge. Knowledge is power, as they say. This is often a saving grace of teachers, they take a breath as in number 2 above, taking in the scene, and decide whether to follow their lesson plan, or whether it is necessary to improvise to draw the class back in.
Impromptu presentations make this difficult, however try to grasp a handful of items and flesh them out, add a story, bring what you know.
5. You have got to speak to me.
One thing the audience does not want is monotonic reading, you have to present. Most universities and schools have students who will just read their work as their oral presentations. To shine you need to be different, you need to engage with the audience, make it stick. Use examples, stories, jokes, have props, diagrams, or audience interaction.
Some full time public speakers use a theme or metaphor that runs through their presentation. This allows them a path to come back to if they get lost, and can enable a through line for remembering the information and connecting with the audience. Using this method allows them to explore various techniques of engaging the audience and have fun, and so can you because you have a support structure to lean back on.
In conclusion, the audience wants you to do well, because they have been to so many bad presentations, they will be surprised by someone who is able to overcome this. Defeating your fear might seem difficult, but with practice and experience the fear subsides, and then you are the one who pounces.
5 Steps to present
By Dale Stam 12/10/11
Public speaking is a scary beast that can leap out of the crisp corridors of office life, and snatch up all the confidence you built since 9am. There are various methods for defence, some people tackle the monster first, others react after it has pounced, and there are still others who run away screaming.
I have given a few public presentations, felt the stares and the rapid heartbeat, but there are some tricks to help you overcome the beast.
1. Do not be paranoid.
Truth is all those people you stare out over, they actually want you to do well. They would rather be engaged then bored, and if you are able to make a good presentation, then they will associate you with somebody who they can not only understand, but whom they want to hear from.
2. Turn on the slow-mo.
It might go against everything in your body telling you to fly when giving a presentation, but one of the major factors in bad presentations is presenters who rush into things.
Take a breather, if anybody asks, you’re doing it for dramatic tension. Actors use it to grasp audiences, and teachers do it to hold the class. The speed of the presentation varies from person to person and from your pre-run timing to the actual presentation.
Remember that control like the actor and teachers comes from the pause, let them want more- it also gives you a moment to adjust to the stress.
3. Look to the horizon.
If all those eyes staring at you start to make you quake, then adjust your gaze to a higher plane, but not too high. Rest on the fringe, or the forehead, it appears you are looking at the audience but you gain less of the side effects from direct eye contact.
Hair does not stare, hair does not judge, and it is ready to be blown over by the power of your presentation.
4. Know your stuff.
If you know what you are presenting, then you are able to ad lib, and you gain a sense of confidence that comes with knowledge. Knowledge is power, as they say. This is often a saving grace of teachers, they take a breath as in number 2 above, taking in the scene, and decide whether to follow their lesson plan, or whether it is necessary to improvise to draw the class back in.
Impromptu presentations make this difficult, however try to grasp a handful of items and flesh them out, add a story, bring what you know.
5. You have got to speak to me.
One thing the audience does not want is monotonic reading, you have to present. Most universities and schools have students who will just read their work as their oral presentations. To shine you need to be different, you need to engage with the audience, make it stick. Use examples, stories, jokes, have props, diagrams, or audience interaction.
Some full time public speakers use a theme or metaphor that runs through their presentation. This allows them a path to come back to if they get lost, and can enable a through line for remembering the information and connecting with the audience. Using this method allows them to explore various techniques of engaging the audience and have fun, and so can you because you have a support structure to lean back on.
In conclusion, the audience wants you to do well, because they have been to so many bad presentations, they will be surprised by someone who is able to overcome this. Defeating your fear might seem difficult, but with practice and experience the fear subsides, and then you are the one who pounces.
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